Secret
by Imperial Strife
Summary: [AU][Cloti] Not your average high school fic. Cloud's a transfer student, and Tifa the most popular girl in school. Against all odds, they begin a relationship, but Cloud has a secret that threatens to destroy their love. Chapter 2 up. Full details inside
1. Prologue Chapter

**Secret.  
Prologue Chapter**  
_**by Imperial Strife**_

She still remembers the first time she set eyes on him. Blue eyes, the color of the sky, and golden hair that was as bright as the sun.

Another thing she remembers about him was that he was always late. Sometimes, an hour late, and other times, just five minutes. Still, always late. She hated that part of him. But that only made her love the rest of him more.

She remembers, because now he's gone.

That cocky smirk she remembers so well, and the broad shoulders. Gone.

He's left her at last, but she'd known since forever that he always would, one day.

A single, crystalline tear slides down her porcelain cheek as she looks upon the note fluttering away in the night breeze, but she smiles.

She knows that he'll come back to her in the end.

She'll wait.

Because she loves him.

And he loves her.

**A/N: **Comments?


	2. Late

**Secret.  
Late**  
_**by Imperial Strife**_

School started just like any other day. Well, almost. School started just like any other day, except for an extra desk and chair placed right at the back of the class.

_The transfer student… Some of the teachers mentioned that he would be starting class this week._

She doesn't give it any further thought as her friend Yuffie drags her off to see some 'totally hot guy'.

--

Third class of the day, and surprisingly, everyone is still wide awake. Of course, the current teacher has a knack for 'motivating' his students to pay attention in his lessons. In fact, Cid Highwind has a reputation for delivering lectures that are an unparalleled bore while managing to keep his students awake at the same time. Nobody knows how, either.

_Five minutes to break time_, she thinks, already struggling to keep awake amidst Cid's ongoing monotony about airships and flight systems.

A sharp knock on the door, before it clicks open and light from the corridor spills into the darkened room. A student with unruly hair, school blazer and duffel slung casually over his shoulder saunters into the room, scuffed sneakers and all, before strolling across to Cid and handing him a piece of paper.

She can see Cid's face growing redder by the second.

'_You're late, boy!_ _And somebody turn on the lights!_'

There is a general commotion on the far side of the room as Wedge and Biggs scrambles desperately for the wall switch. A few of the smarter ones in class grimace and retrieve earplugs from their bags. Another thing students learn quickly in Cid's class was that it usually gets very, very noisy when someone's late for class.

The room lights flicker on, and soon everyone gets their first look at the new kid.

_Blue eyes__. Nice features. Great physique. And blonde. Yuffie must be drooling already._

She shoots a quick glance at her friend two seats away, and sure enough, Yuffie is swallowing copious amounts of saliva down her throat. Apparently, Yuffie has already forgotten about that 'totally hot guy' from before.

_Typical Yuffie behaviour_, she shrugs mentally. Still, she has to admit that the guy _is _somewhat cute. Fine, he is _extremely _cute, but as far as she was concerned, all boys are jerks. Especially the better looking ones.

'Transfer student huh?'

'Yes sir.'

'Alright,' Cid growls, before looking at his watch. A few more students stuff tissue into their ears as they prepare for the inevitable. In geography, this phenomenon is otherwise known as 'calm before the storm'.

The transfer student stuffs a hand into his pocket, and his other comes up subconsciously to scratch the back of his head. Yuffie chokes and nearly fell off her chair while squealing in excitement.

'You do know what time lessons begin, right?'

Silence. Everyone covers their ears.

'_Then why in freaking hell are you late? Didn't your mum ever teach you the concept of punctuality?'_Cid roars, before pausing to catch his breath, hacking violently. Smoking does that to your lungs.

'What reason do you have for being late?'

'…none, sir.'

Cid looks as if he's going to explode again, but is interrupted by another coughing fit. Taking a deep breath, Cid manages to regain his composure before continuing.

'I'll deal with you after school. Find an empty seat and get your ass over there before I kick you over.'

The new student doesn't budge an inch.

'_What is it?!_'

'It's break time, _sir_,' comes the lazy reply.

--

She exchanges an exasperated look with Jessie, as the class streams back in for lesson after break. The past hour has been rather tiring for the both girls, as it mainly involved restraining a vehement Yuffie who was intent on 'introducing' herself to the new student. She really doubts that he wants to be introduced to Yuffie, from past experience.

Then it was time for lessons.

--

The bell goes, and school is out for the day. Like always she heads for the parking lot with Jessie and Yuffie, discussing the latest movies, and boybands,. They are halfway across the baking asphalt when she remembers all of a sudden that her notes are still in class.

Slapping her forehead mentally in frustration, she considers running back to class to get them.

_Well, we __**do**__ have a test next week…_

'Hey, guys? Go on ahead without me. I left my notes in class and I've got to go get it.'

--

_I hate climbing stairs. Why does homeroom have to be on the top level?_

She pauses for a moment to catch her breath, before walking down the deserted corridors to her homeroom. Everyone still in school at this time would either be in the playing fields or their respective clubrooms, so there wasn't a soul to be seen. Creepy.

Pushing the heavy, wooden door open, she felt along the wall for the light switch, and nearly laughed out loud in disbelief as they buzzed to life.

And there he is, feet on table, mouth slightly open as he sleeps, with his head hanging off the back of the chair. No doubt he's exhausted after his 'extra lessons' with Cid.

Heading for her table, she grabs her notes and organises them hastily before stuffing them into her bag. She's about to turn to leave, when curiosity gets the better of her and she finds herself standing beside _him_, looking down and unsure of what to do.

She giggles softly as she observes him napping.

_He __**is**__ pretty cute after all. No wonder all the other girls were checking him out during break…_

She waves a hand over his face, but he's oblivious to his surroundings as he slumbers fitfully.

She giggles again, and pokes him uncertainly in the side with a finger. His eyes fly open, his head snaps forward, and a strong hand grabs her wrist before letting ago when he realises it's only _her_. Frightened, she backs away, suddenly unsure of what to do.

He blinks a few times to get the sleep out of his eyes, before he speaks.

'Don't do that.'

'…sorry.'

He studies her intently for a moment, intense blue meeting soft hazel. before snatching his duffel and blazer off the floor, throwing them over his shoulder and heading for the door.

Just before he reaches the door, she calls out, softly, and he stops, but doesn't turn around.

'Hey… what's your name?'

A sudden, tense silence hangs in the air as he doesn't speak. What seems like eternity passes, before his rough voice breaches the heavy awkwardness.

'…Cloud.'

'I'm Tifa.'

**A/N: **Hit that review button. Please.


	3. Sissy

**Secret.  
Sissy**  
_**by Imperial Strife**_

He was late again, Tifa saw. And it just so happened that Cid was in class for a lecture.

'Not bad, boy. An improvement of…five minutes,' he comments dryly from the lectern.

The disheveled mass of blonde hair shifts rebelliously on his feet, but keeps quiet as students dive under their desks for earplugs and brace for the inevitable. Many decide to take cover under tables as the storm hits in full force. Small wonder that everyone learns quickly in Cid's class.

It's ten minutes later that Cid finally stops and clears his throat, before continuing in a scratchy voice.

'Alright then; you've got a date with me this afternoon again, boy. Now get your spiky-headed butt back to your seat before I change my mind.'

The bell rings for break.

--

Break in the cafeteria, and predictably, Yuffie's gushing about how hot the 'new kid' is.

'His name's Cloud, Yuffie,' Tifa says, her voice almost completely drowned out by Yuffie's. Sometimes, Yuffie is a bit hard of hearing. Mainly because she's too busy shooting her mouth off all the time to listen to others.

'…if only we knew his name- _what_?!'

'His name's Cloud, Yuffie,' she repeats tiredly.

'_Ehmygawd Tifa! How did you find out?! Why didn't you tell me earlier?!'_

Tifa doesn't have a chance to reply as Yuffie grabs her enthusiastically by the shoulders and starts shaking violently.

The timely arrival of Jessie and Elena with their trays, however, saves Tifa from a horrible fate, and Tifa takes a brief moment to tidy up her waist-length, velvet hair before starting on what the kitchen invariably calls 'food'.

_Food…__as if this stuff is even edible_.

'So, Tifa, what'd you think of the new boy?' Jessie asks in between munches, ponytail bobbing up and down gaily behind her head.

'His name's Cloud, and I'm gonna marry him one day!' Yuffie interrupts, unintentionally spraying out little blobs of what was previously potato salad from her mouth as she does so.

'I'm sure you meant you were going to _make_ him marry you one day, and don't talk with your mouth full _please_,' Elena scolds, rolling her eyes and scrunching up her nose. Yuffie sticks out her tongue at Elena and mutters something about 'prefects' and 'elitists' under her breath.

The two start to bicker, but Jessie ignores them and nudges Tifa gently.

'So?'

Tifa sighs, and keeps her eyes on the table as a certain blonde walks past their table. He's surrounded by his usual retinue of adoring friends, most of whom are undoubtedly there only for the money and prestige associated with Shinra's favourite son.

'Hey Tifa…you're still hung up on him, aren't you?' Jessie says softly, concerned for her friend.

Tifa shakes her head slightly, and pushes her tray away.

'I'm done eating,' she says, and gets up to return to class.

Her plate's still full.

--

'…Mako has an adverse effect on the human body, and is fatal if consumed in large amounts,' Bugenhagen pauses, and frowns as he spots somebody dozing at the back of the class.

'Cloud, are you or are you _not_ paying attention?'

Heads turn back to look at the person in question, and Tifa suppresses a small smile as she notices the wires snaking up from his duffel. Johnny reaches over his seat and yanks the earphones from his ears, before shaking him awake.

'Thank you, Johnny. Now Cloud, would you mind telling us what the effects of Mako poisoning are?'

His chair scrapes back against the tiles as he lifts his face from the table, rubbing his eyes, before he asks Bugenhagen to repeat his question.

Bugenhagen does so, and Tifa isn't sure if she spots a quick shadow passing over Cloud's features.

'I don't know, sir,' he says quickly.

Bugenhagen frowns again, and turns back to the laptop to advance the slideshow.

'This, Cloud, is what happens,' Bugenhagen says, an edge in his voice. Even Bugenhagen's patience has its limits.

Eyes return to the front as pictures come up on the projector, and there's an assorted collection of groans as the class sees the disturbing images.

This is when Tifa hears Cloud's shaky voice telling Bugenhagen that he needs the toilet, and sees him stumbling out of class.

'What a sissy, yo.'

--

Gym. Everyone's worst nightmare. Except for Yuffie, that is. Yuffie loves gym class because it's the only time she can indulge her inner self by running around and screaming her head off without anyone shouting at her.

They're doing soccer today, and Barret orders everyone into two teams. The class moves into their assigned groups quickly and without objection, even when Reno and Elena found themselves standing beside each other. Generally, what Barret said, you did. End of story.

Tifa spots Cloud, his normally crazy hair matted against his forehead and face pale as he strides across the grass towards Barret, who's just finished giving instructions and is about to start the game. Tifa foresees trouble with her amazing powers of deduction because Cloud hasn't changed into his gym shirt.

'Get yourself changed, boy. Move it!' Barret orders, while eying the blonde suspiciously. Obviously, he doesn't trust anyone who has hair that even remotely resembles a chocobo's ass.

Cloud turns right around and starts jogging towards the changing rooms, gym shirt in hand.

'You can get changed here, boy. You're a man, aren't you?' Barret booms. A few boys snicker loudly, and Tifa has to smack Yuffie on the head to stop her from squealing in excitement.

Cloud doesn't stop as he continues heading for the changing rooms.

'C'mon, stop being a girl, yo,' Reno drawls, and jumps out from the line, standing Cloud's way.

_There's going to be trouble…_

Reno's hand shoots out, making a grab for the collar. Or at least, he tries to. Cloud swats the hand away easily, and Reno finds himself on his back, looking up at the sky.

'Son of a-'

This time, Reno succeeds in getting a fistful of Cloud's shirt, but Cloud's fist slams heavily into his face and blood pours from his broken nose. A few of the girls scream as droplets of crimson land on the grass.

By the time Barret and Rude pull Cloud off Reno, Reno is lying on the grass, a useless heap as he clutches his nose and moans in pain.

'_You're lucky if you don't get expelled for this, boy! See me after school, you hear?!_' Barret shouts, furious.

He stalks off towards the parking lot.

**A/N: **The review button screams 'HIT ME'


	4. Liar

**Secret.  
Liar**  
_**by Imperial Strife**_

He wasn't in school the next day.

Or the next, either.

--

Tifa steps across the gravel of the parking lot, breathing in the sweet smell of freshly cut grass that's wafting in on the wind, from the playing field. It's still early, and the grounds are blissfully silent save for the occasional chirping of a bird.

She fiddles with her collar as she makes her towards the main building, her long raven hair flowing out behind her with the morning breeze. Tifa's halfway up the stone steps when she sees _him_, leaning against one of the marble columns and staring up at the orange sky. She stops, suddenly unsure of what to do.

_It's not like I'm even close to him…_

Still, her curiosity gets the better of her, and she slides up next to him on the steps, careful to make her presence known. She still remembers what happened the other time she surprised him.

There's no sign that he even knows that she's there.

She doesn't say anything.

He doesn't say anything.

And they just sit there, basking in the orange dawn.

--

It's Cid's class again, and everyone's struggling to stay awake as Cid lectures animatedly about airships. Again. Actually, they were supposed to have moved on to submarines by this time in the school term, but Cid being Cid, let's just say that he decided to extend the syllabus.

Everyone's surprised as Cid is stopped mid-sentence by a sharp rap on the door, and a few of the faint-hearted cower in their seats as they observe Cid change several shades of colour to a very bright purple. Evidently, Cloud's frequent disruptions of Cid's classes have left Cid traumatised.

Silence reigns in class as Bugenhagen steps in, followed by _that_distinctive shock of blond hair. And it is at this inopportune moment that a certain redhead sniggers as Cid's face changes color rapidly again, before settling on a decidedly ambiguous pink.

Bugenhagen glides across the room, his emerald robe sliding soundlessly over the tiles, and some people in class wonder if the venerable old man was ever a ballroom dancer. If he had been he sure was a damn good one.

There was some noise at the side of the class, as Biggs and Wedge engaged in yet another fight for the light switch. Some things just never change. Not to mention that, if you squinted, you could see Cid fuming in a dark corner as he was left out of the figurative and literal spotlight.

Bugenhagen pretended not to notice and instead cleared his throat, putting his gnarled hands on the table.

'Now, I'm sure all of you are aware of the, _ahem_, incident that occurred between Cloud and Reno two days back.'

A pause, for dramatic effect. In addition to being a superb dancer, Bugenhagen was also a known theatric known for his moving renditions of _Romeo and Juliet_. As the friar, no less.

'As we all know, the punishment for fighting and violent conduct in the school grounds is-expulsion'

Tifa sneaks a peek at the blonde standing behind Bugenhagen, his hands stuffed into his pockets as usual. He looks nonchalant as usual, the customary cocky smirk still on his face, and she wonders how he can even smile at this time.

'However, when you take into account the circumstances, it was quite clear that Cloud had been provoked, and the school administration will _not_ be expelling him.'

Reno snaps upright in his chair and opens his mouth, as if to say something, but Bugenhagen shoots him a sharp look and the redhead wisely keeps his mouth shut. The old man turns around, giving the blonde a barely perceptible nod, and Cloud shuffles off down the aisle to his seat.

And as everyone has come to expect, the bell for break rings right after.

--

Tifa carries her tray over to their usual table, and ignores Reno who's positively convinced that she's _dying_to go out on a date with him. As if.

'_Tee-fuh_! What were you doing on the steps this morning with-' Yuffie mumbles, before a tired Elena tells her automatically not to talk with her mouth full, and Jessie _stealthily_ kicks Yuffie under the table.

'So, Tifa, how was your morning?' Elena asks, in between shoveling potato salad into her mouth while Yuffie protests at the blatant double standards. Jessie kicks Yuffie harder.

Instantly, Tifa's mind goes into panic, and her fork stops halfway in the air, en route to her cherry red lips.

'What? No, no, it's not like that!' Tifa splutters, noticing the coy smile tugging at the corner of Elena's mouth.

'Go girl. We're behind you all the way,' Jessie says as she rises from the table, winking slyly over her shoulder.

All Tifa could do was groan.

--

School was out for the day, and almost everyone was home already. Tifa had been helping some of the weaker students with their schoolwork, and by the time she was done the blazing sun was already sinking out of sight, behind the grimy skyscrapers of Midgar.

She trudges across the parking lot wearily and fishes into her tote for the car keys. Tifa didn't particularly like tutoring this group of students: it was simply tiring having to teach them something only to have them forget it the very next session.

The door of her coupe swings open easily, and she stabbs the key into the ignition before twisting it. A deep rumble, then, nothing.

_Great.__ The car's dead. How am I supposed to get home now?_

Tifa sits there, in the leather seat, while baking in the stiflingly humid air. The air conditioning wasn't working either.

_Guess I'll have to call Dad, then. _

She reaches for her cell and punches in his office number, only for his secretary to tell her, infuriatingly, that he was in a meeting and probably wouldn't be done for another few hours.

Five, ten, fifteen minutes of listening to the crickets chirping, and Tifa was still stranded, her dark tresses splayed out across the headrest. She checks the rapidly darkening sky and was dismayed to see little pinpoints of light winking into existence; the last vestiges of light were disappearing as the sun sank beneath Midgar's famous skyline.

She sees him then, that head of golden-yellow hair that was impossible to miss, even in the dark, seemingly floating in the air as he walks down the school steps in the shadows.

Tifa hesitates for a moment, before she makes up her mind.

_He's a guy. Let's hope he knows something about cars. It's not like those three are around anyway._

She fumbles with the door, and sprints across the gravel surface, after Cloud.

'Hey, Cloud, wait up!' she calls out somewhat breathlessly.

The figure in front stops and looks over his shoulder, but to her surprise and chagrin, he starts walking forward again, as if he hadn't seen her.

Tifa surges across the lot, desperate, and skids to a halt in front of Cloud, panting slightly from her exertion. The blonde sighs and stops, giving her a quizzical look before asking.

'What?'

'I'm having some trouble with my car, and I was just wondering if you would be so kind as to help me out.'

Cloud readjusts the strap of his duffel across the shoulder, before glancing at the red coupe. He scratches the back of his head before setting off towards the car, with a slightly bemused Tifa following in his wake.

--

'Watch the head, Cloud,' Tifa reminded him as the blonde withdrew his head from under her car's hood. This was followed immediately by a loud _clunk_ and Tifa had to stifle a giggle as Cloud's grease-streaked face twisted into a scowl. Somehow she just knew that people like Cloud didn't like being laughed at.

'Thanks Cloud. So, what's wrong with my ride?' she asks, after handing him a paper napkin to wipe all the oil and dirt off.

He stares at her, as though he's just seen the weirdest thing in the world.

'What?' Tifa exclaims, suddenly self-counscious.

The blonde smirks, before he slams the hood shut and pulls the door open, pointing at the gauges.

She was out of gas.

_Oh my god. _

Tifa wished a hole in the ground would open up and swallow her whole.

And he looks like he's having a hell of a time just trying to keep a straight face.

--

They're sitting on the hood of Tifa's car, sipping their drinks. Tifa had offered to pay for both their drinks, in thanks for Cloud's help. and with the ulterior motive of sealing his mouth. Cloud had firmly declined her offer and insisted instead on paying for hers, like the old-fashioned, chivalrous gentleman that he certainly didn't look like.

He drains the last of his drink and throws the crumpled can over his shoulder, onto the ground, before swinging off the hood and crunching into the gravel. Cloud digs into his pocket and pulls his cell out, flipping the display open and letting the white light spill over his sharp features.

He hesitates for a moment, but in the end he asks Tifa, hand scratching the back of his head.

'It's late. You need a ride home?'

_Dad probably isn't done with his meeting yet, and it __**is**__ late. I suppose it's okay…_

She nods.

'You sure it's alright?'

'I guess. Where's your place?'

She tells him, and his brow scrunches up in thought.

'Sure. It's on the way. C'mon.'

--

The pair walked down the dirty streets, through the regularly spaced patches of concrete that the street lamps illuminated. Tifa found herself following Cloud closely, more for protection than anything else. The city of Midgar was not safe at night, or even, in the day, especially for a young and pretty girl like Tifa. She lacked the sureness and confidence that Cloud had, moving through the beggars, vagabonds and homeless that littered the streets at this hour.

She followed him down a flight of stairs, into an underground garage where the walls were covered by graffiti, and was stunned when Cloud walked up to a sleek, black, and totally sexy bike.

She stopped short on the tarmac, and gaped.

'What?'

'…'

'Well?'

'I'm afraid of bikes…' Tifa falters.

That annoying smirk appeared on his face again. Oh, how she wanted to wipe it off that pretty face of his!

_Pretty?_

'You'll be fine,' he mumbles, rummaging through his bag for something.

'Here. Goggles,' he says, and throws her a spare pair.

'Wait! Aren't you supposed to wear _helmets_?'

'The cops don't really care, either way, as long as you don't get into an accident. Anyway, helmets really screw your hair up,' he explains, and is mildly surprised when Tifa starts laughing, in spite of herself.

_He is __**so**__ vain!_

'What?' he asks, and gives her a weird look.

'Nothing, nothing.'

'Alright. Get on then,' he says, pulling the goggles over his eyes while giving her suspicious look.

The engine roars to life and they tear down the streets of Midgar.

--

Riding pillion on a bike was more fun than she imagined: Tifa had always had an unspoken fear of anything that moved on two wheels, ever since her painful attempts at trying to ride a bicycle. Of course, it helped that she had her arms around somebody buff. She could feel his rock-hard abs…

_Stop!_

Tifa slapped herself mentally to get rid of those offensive thoughts and felt her face flush hotly. She was glad he couldn't see her right now.

The lamps flashed by, and Tifa almost went into hysterics when Cloud ran a red light at a junction. She settled down somewhat when she realised that Cloud ignored every single light and that he seemed to know what he was doing anyway.

_Dad would throw a fit if he saw me like this._

--

A quarter of an hour later, they screech to a halt outside a row of posh brownstones that reflect the wealth and social status of its residents.

'Thanks,' Tifa says rather shakily as she dismounts from the bike, still amazed at how Cloud had managed to run that route in fifteen minutes. She normally took three times that to get to school.

He slouches over the bike, with its engine still running, and pulls his leather gloves snugly over his fingers.

'See you in school, then,' she says, and runs up the steps to the door.

It's only when she's inside that she realises his goggles are still with her.

--

He watches as she disappears into the interior of the brownstone, before turning the bike around.

_On the way, my ass. Now I've got an hour long trip back home._

**A/N:**You know what to do. Click the little button that says review. Check my profile for updates.


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